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Muslim-Sikh Relations in pre-partition Punjab 1940-47

Akhtar Sandhu, University of Southampton

Abstract

The Muslim-Sikh relations in the rural Punjab were ideal throughout the history. Both the communities before the advent of the British, the communities living in the Punjab had their own religious places which worked as their formal educational institutions. Both taught their religious heritage which maintained their communal identity in the Punjab. They were Sikhs and Muslims when they were in the Gurdwaras and Mosques but outside the religious places they were brothers and Punjabis. They had numerous complaints against the Unionist Muslims but it did not affect the friendly relations of the two communities in the rural areas. After the Lahore Resolution of 1940, the Sikhs became insecure which revived the historical enmity in the Sikh minds but even then the rural Punjab remained intact from the communal strife.

The oral history accounts reveal that conversions within the castes proved blessing which paved the way to the mutual understanding between the Muslims and Sikhs. Both the communities had been living a friendly life in the rural Punjab on the basis of inter-dependence or co-existence. The economic activities required mutual co-operation which convinced them to find a way to a peaceful life. The communitarian dominance also played a role in acceptance the writ of one community. Sikhs were socially and religiously close to the Hindus so both the communities seemed together against religious or social issue if emerged. The Kammi or non-martial castes were not happy on the Sikh-Muslim harmony as the religious places were occupied mostly by these people. The oral history accounts disclose that the plundering, looting and killing in 1947 were mostly launched by the non-martial people on both sides. These conclusions I conceived from the field survey conducted in many western Punjab districts. I also collected and compared valuable information from the few Sikhs from Jallandhar, Kundal (Ferozpur), Bheni Shiekhupura. etc